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What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:00 pm
by Bruno21
I got into a T10 school, but was compelled to defer for a year (won't go into detail). I have a bit of leftover debt from undergrad and will be paying a bit less than sticker for T10, the bulk of which will come from loans. I anticipate a ~100k in debt at the completion of law school.

My options for this year are:
1. Study and read up in hopes of preparing myself for 1L while living at home. Work to increase my chances at becoming the best student I can be.

2. Teach English in China/Korea. Travel, have the time of my life.

3. Work/ Internship at Law Firm while living at home (have a decent chance at scoring ~30k/year job as a legal secretary/aide sort of thing at friend's firm)

Pertinent information to my decision is that I make more money playing poker than any job that I can realistically get.
My question, in my opinion, boils down to: is it better to live at home and minimize debt OR prepare for law school OR party and have fun before law school OR acquire work experience. I know I can possibly do a few of these things simultaneously, but lets say I had to pick 1.

Any thoughtfull input would be appreaciated.

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:07 pm
by bk1
Make money or have fun. I would have fun, but some people would prefer the money.

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:12 pm
by athenian
If you were taking a year off from undergrad before applying, I'd say "build up your resume and make money"

But, since you're already in, why not have fun? You're about to throw yourself into three years of law school and the meat grinder of trying to work your way up the ladder at a BigLaw firm. Fun is going to be out of your picture for a long while my friend... enjoy this last chance at freedom.

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:12 pm
by pleasetryagain
money is generally a prerequisite for fun - I vote money.

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:14 pm
by vespertiliovir
2 -- if you can make money teaching english AND have fun, why not?

either that or get drunk. a lot.

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:14 pm
by hellokitty
Option 2.

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:15 pm
by mallard
Obviously #2. Nothing even compares. But make sure it'll actually be fun for you.

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:15 pm
by youpiiz
never understood the fascination with teaching english abroad.
there is also the risk that 'taught english in china/korea for a yr' may cause some azn chicks to cross you out for good fromt their list of bang-able d00ds.

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:18 pm
by mallard
youpiiz wrote:never understood the fascination with teaching english abroad.
there is also the risk that 'taught english in china/korea for a yr' may cause some azn chicks to cross you out for good fromt their list of bang-able d00ds.
Because they figure yellow fever?

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:19 pm
by 06132010
fap

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:19 pm
by xyzzzzzzzz
.

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:20 pm
by vespertiliovir
youpiiz wrote:never understood the fascination with teaching english abroad.
there is also the risk that 'taught english in china/korea for a yr' may cause some azn chicks to cross you out for good fromt their list of bang-able d00ds.
there are plenty of other koi in the pond

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:23 pm
by Grizz
booyakasha45 wrote:fap
Credited.

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:24 pm
by youpiiz
mallard wrote:
Because they figure yellow fever?
naw other concerns. yelllow fever itself is not a concern if only based on physical reasons.
vespertiliovir wrote: there are plenty of other koi in the pond
def true.

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:27 pm
by mallard
youpiiz wrote:
mallard wrote:
Because they figure yellow fever?
naw other concerns. yelllow fever itself is not a concern if only based on physical reasons.
STDs?

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:27 pm
by vespertiliovir
mallard wrote:STDs?
lol

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:30 pm
by youpiiz
mallard wrote: STDs?
thats one thing. however, one cannot and should not generalise. im just saying that there is increased 'risk' that should be of concern to all persons contemplating physical (or other types of) intimacy with the subject(s) of this exchange.
on the overall, they just have a bad rep. lets keep it at that.

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:32 pm
by romothesavior
Image

Seriously though, I think it is a tossup between 2 and 3. You won't get to travel for a while, so that would be a great opportunity. On the other hand, 3 might give you a better idea of whether or not you really want to be a lawyer.

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:34 pm
by Grizz
Seriously though, #3 for the reason Romo mentioned above.

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:36 pm
by youpiiz
law jobs are pretty boring tho. i took a year off and did 3, but i regretted not doing something more interesting/fun.

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:39 pm
by Grizz
youpiiz wrote:law jobs are pretty boring tho. i took a year off and did 3, but i regretted not doing something more interesting/fun.
I've done insanely interesting legal work and legal work that made me want to killself. Mixed bag I guess.

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:41 pm
by mallard
rad law wrote:
youpiiz wrote:law jobs are pretty boring tho. i took a year off and did 3, but i regretted not doing something more interesting/fun.
I've done insanely interesting legal work and legal work that made me want to killself. Mixed bag I guess.
What legal work have you done that was insanely interesting?

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:42 pm
by youpiiz
mallard wrote:
What legal work have you done that was insanely interesting?
hes a bro, so perhaps products liability for protein shakes and the like. theyve been found to contain excess heavy metal.

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:45 pm
by mallard
youpiiz wrote:
mallard wrote:
What legal work have you done that was insanely interesting?
hes a bro, so perhaps products liability for protein shakes and the like. theyve been found to contain excess heavy metal.
LOL.

Re: What to do with my year of deferment?

Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 12:58 am
by Grizz
mallard wrote:
rad law wrote:
youpiiz wrote:law jobs are pretty boring tho. i took a year off and did 3, but i regretted not doing something more interesting/fun.
I've done insanely interesting legal work and legal work that made me want to killself. Mixed bag I guess.
What legal work have you done that was insanely interesting?
Criminal defense at a solo practice that specialized in RICO, drug trafficking, murders, and other "bet the farm" type criminal defense stuff. The people I met and the cases were extremely interesting. Most of the cut and paste motions I put together were not.